Everything’s better when your beloved dog is by your side! If you’ve ever wished your dog could join you while playing golf, soccer, or team sports, you’re not alone.
But some sports are harder than others for a dog to fit into easily. As much as they’d love to romp around the golf course and catch the golf balls, it’s not fair to other golfers.
The good news is that there are sports that your dog can enjoy safely with you. Here are some of our favorite interesting sports you can enjoy with your dog.
Hiking
If you already hike, taking your dog along may be a fun and fascinating activity for them. However, there are some things to be aware of before just hauling them with you!
One, make sure their feet are protected from the hot ground by getting them booties. Two, your pup can carry a pack too, but make sure it’s not too heavy for them! Three, carry more water than you think you’ll need and stop to give them a drink often.
Flat-faced dogs especially can overheat extremely easily, so take it easy if you’ve got one with you! Keep your pup leashed unless they’re exceptionally trained.
Canicross/Bikejoring
Canicross is cross-country running with dogs and bikejoring is biking with dogs! Both of them involve having your pup tethered to your waist as you go, so you’re exercising together but your hands are free.
It’s best to try this if your dog has a lot of energy to expend, is already well-trained, and if you’re already fairly good at cross-country or biking! It’ll be harder to get right if you’re fighting to keep control of your dog and a bike or navigate rough ground.
Musical Canine Freestyle
This one’s for the dancers out there! It’s a combination of obedience training and choreographed dance that the dog and owner perform together. As you can imagine, it requires a well-trained dog that trusts its owner implicitly, and you’ll need a lot of patience to train for this with your pup.
Rally
Rally is a fun sport that has both you and your pooch moving through a course. Throughout the course, you’ll find signs indicating that a particular trick or skill should be performed, which the owner will then initiate with their pup.
Above all, this is actually an obedience sport. Your dog waits on you to tell them which trick to do and they get rewarded for doing the right thing with skill.
Stand-Up Paddleboarding/Swimming
Water dogs will love this idea! Paddleboarding is a popular human sport that you can take your dog along to, as long as your pup isn’t scared of the water and is a good swimmer.
Your dog can sit on the board with you as you move through the water, or they can hop off and have a swim while you’re paddling. This is ideal for those who live near water and spend a lot of time in it.
It’s always a good idea to kit your dog out in a canine life jacket if they’re near the water, even if they’re on a boat. They’ll still be able to swim, but they’ll be extra protected in case something happens.
Have fun!
About the Author
Jordan Fuller is a golfer and a dog-lover and has been both since he was a child. When he’s not on the course working on his own game or mentoring other golfers, he researches and writes golf-related articles for his own website, Golf Influence.